This application claims the priority of commonly owned German patent application Serial No. 199 47 709.4 filed Oct. 4, 1999. The disclosure of the above-referenced German patent application, as well as that of each U.S. and foreign patent and patent application identified in the specification of the present application, is incorporated herein by reference.
The invention relates to a method of and to an apparatus for packing discrete commodities, for example, commodities which constitute arrays of parallel rod-shaped articles (such as plain or filter cigarettes) of the tobacco processing industry. More particularly, the invention relates to improvements in methods of and in apparatus for packing arrays of cigarettes or the like wherein a drive is utilized to operate various units of the packing machine until the machine receives or generates a stop signal which initiates a stoppage of the drive.
An apparatus of the above outlined character is disclosed in published German patent application Serial No. 21 15 505 of Kruse et al. The apparatus comprises a first drive which advances a series of successive arrays of plain or filter cigarettes along an elongated path in stepwise fashion. Successive arrays receive blanks which are converted into envelopes surrounding the respective arrays. Each step of the method which can be carried out by resorting to such apparatus can begin while the array is in motion and can be completed during the immediately following interval of stillstand of the array. If the apparatus receives a signal which initiates a stoppage of the first drive, such signal does not entail immediate stoppage of all units which form part of the packing apparatus and participate in the making of successive finished packs each of which contains an array of rod-shaped articles. Instead, various units of the packing apparatus remain operational to thus ensure that certain packing or wrapping operations are completed before all units of the apparatus come to a standstill. This is desirable and advantageous because any prolonged stoppage of an array which is on its way along a path defined by a standard packing apparatus is likely to result in drying or setting of adhesive which is utilized to position various panels, walls, flaps, tucks and/or other foldable parts of successive converted blanks; therefore, the packets or envelopes constituted by such blanks are defective and must be discarded together with their contents.
Otherwise stated, the German patent application of Kruse et al. proposes to terminate various packing operations which must be completed without delay in order to turn out a satisfactory pack (such as a so-called soft pack or a so-called hinged-lid pack) which can be confined in a carton and/or otherwise processed rather than being dumped into a receptacle or onto a take-off conveyor for the gathering of defective packs.
The published German patent application of Kruse et al. further discloses that, in addition to the first drive (which serves to advance a series of successive arrays stepwise into and along a first path), the packing apparatus can employ a second drive which serves to supply blanks along a second path and into a selected portion of the; first path, as well as a third drive which is put to use subsequent to the generation of a stop signal and the ensuing stoppage of the first and/or second drive. The operations of such drives are regulated by a control circuit which ensures that the apparatus can complete a series of successive operations in order to achieve a reduction of the number of rejects. The control circuit is set up to ensure that the apparatus completes a series of treatments upon each constituent of a partly finished (future) pack so that the completion of partly finished packs can be carried out upon renewed starting of the drives.
A drawback of the aforediscussed conventional packing method and apparatus is that the number of rejects which are turned out during deceleration of the first drive and during operation of the second drive is still high or very high. Moreover, the aforediscussed prior proposal does not encompass the manipulation of all packing units which are likely to cause the making of unsatisfactory final products, such as packs of plain or filter cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos and/or other rod-shaped smokers"" products. Furthermore, the control circuit which is proposed by Kruse et al. is rather complex and expensive.
An object of the present invention is to provide a method of packing arrays of cigarettes or the like or other types of commodities into envelopes of metallic foil, transparent plastic sheet stock, cardboard, paper and/or other wrapping materials in such a way that the number of rejects caused by a stoppage of the packing apparatus is well below that turned out by resorting to presently known methods.
Another object of the invention is to provide a method of reducing the cost of recovering tobacco from defective packs or boxes of plain or filter cigarettes or other smokers"" products.
A further object of the invention is to provide a method which renders it possible to salvage partially finished packs of cigarettes or other rod-shaped smokers"" products which are, being turned out or processed by a packing apparatus subsequent to the generation of a signal serving to initiate deceleration and eventual stoppage of the packing apparatus.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a method which renders it possible to reduce the number of rejects caused by decelerations and stoppages of a packing apparatus to a small fraction of the number of rejects being turned out under such circumstances by presently known packing apparatus including those disclosed in the published German patent application Serial No. 21 15 505.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a method which renders it possible to achieve substantial savings in metallic foil and/or other wrapping materials for arrays of rod-shaped smokers"" products or other types of commodities.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved packing apparatus for the practice of the above outlined method.
A further object of the invention is to provide a packing machine or apparatus with novel and improved means for driving various packing units including that or those serving to advance or transport arrays of rod-shaped smokers"" products as well as those serving to supply and to manipulate blanks for conversion into envelopes or other constituents of packets for arrays of rod-shaped smokers"" products.
Another object of the instant invention is to provide a packing machine or apparatus which can be utilized with equal advantage to achieve reductions in the numbers of defective packs or other types of containers for block-shaped commodities due to any and all known causes of deceleration and stoppage of a packing machine.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a packing machine or apparatus which exhibits the above-enumerated features and advantages and can be incorporated in presently known production lines for the making and processing of rod-shaped smokers"" products as a superior substitute for presently known packing apparatus.
One feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a method of packing successive arrays of a series of arrays of rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry. The improved method comprises the steps of employing at least one first drive to carry out a plurality of consecutive packing operations upon each of successive arrays of the series, generating at times (i.e., when necessary) signals each of which entails a deceleration and ensuing stoppage of the at least one first drive, and utilizing at least one second drive to carry out (at least in part) at least one of the packing operations during an interval covering at least one of (a) the deceleration, (b) the deceleration and a period of the ensuing stoppage, and (c) a period of the ensuing stoppage of the at least one first drive.
The packing operations can include the following steps: advancing successive arrays of the series along a predetermined path, and confining each array in at least one envelope in a predetermined portion of the path. The advancing step preferably comprises moving the arrays stepwise.
Alternatively, the packing operations can include the steps of advancing successive arrays of the series along a predetermined path, supplying to a portion of the predetermined path blanks for conversion into envelopes for successive arays, applying an adhesive to selected portions of the blanks, converting the blanks into envelopes surrounding the respective arrays, and withdrawing successive arrays and the respective blanks from the predetermined path. The converting step can include folding the blanks around the respective arrays.
The step of utilizing at least one second drive can include employing at least one differential gear.
The employing step can include resorting to a first drive which is arranged to rotate a first output element (such as a shaft) at a first RPM prior to the signal generating step, and the utilizing step can comprise utilizing at least one second drive which is arranged to rotate a second output element (e.g., a shaft) at a second RPM which at most matches the first RPM.
The method can further comprise the step of synchronizing the operation of the first drive with the operation of the at least one second drive.
Another feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a machine or apparatus for packing successive arrays of rod-shaped articles of the tobacco processing industry. The improved apparatus comprises a primary driving arrangement including at least one first drive, a plurality of mobile packing units which receive motion from the at least one first drive and are arranged to provide each of the series of arrays with at least one envelope, means for generating at times signals each of which entails a deceleration and ensuing stoppage of the at least one first drive, and a secondary driving arrangement including at least one second drive which is arranged to transmit motion to at least one of the packing units during an interval covering at least one of (a) the deceleration, (b) the deceleration and a period of ensuing stoppage, and (c) a period of ensuing stoppage of the first drive.
For example, the arrays can consist of quincunx formations of rod-shaped articles.
The improved, apparatus can further comprise means for separably coupling the at least one first drive with the at least one second drive.
The at least one second drive can comprise one or more differential, gears.
The at least one packing unit is or can be one of a plurality of, packing units including means for supplying to successive arrays of the series of arrays blanks for conversion into envelopes for the respective arrays, means for applying to selected portions of the blanks one or more, films of hotmelt or another suitable adhesive substance, means for converting blanks into envelopes, and means for evacuating packed arrays (i.e., finished packs).
If the at least one packing unit is one of a plurality of units including means for supplying to successive arrays of the series blanks for conversion into envelopes for the respective arrays, the secondary driving arrangement can comprise a plurality of second drives including a drive for the blank supplying means.
If the packing units include at least one means for supplying to successive arrays foldable blanks for conversion into envelopes for the respective arrays and folding means which is operable to drape the blanks around the respective arrays, the at least one second drive can include means for operating the folding means. Such folding means can include at least one rotary or otherwise movable folding member.
The at least one first drive can comprise at least one rotary first driving member which is rotatable at a plurality of different speeds, and the at least one second drive can comprise at least one second driving member which is rotatable at a plurality of different speeds; such packing apparatus can further comprise means for synchronizing the speed of the at least one first driving member with that of the at least one second driving member.
The improved packing apparatus can further comprise means for assembling rod-shaped articles into the aforementioned series of successive arrays.
The novel features which are considered as characteristic of the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The improved packing apparatus itself, however, both as to its construction and the modes of assembling and operating the same, together with numerous additional important and advantageous features and attributes thereof, will be best understood upon perusal of the following detailed description of certain presently preferred specific embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.